Top Women

In 2011, there were 241 nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize, breaking the historical record.  However, in the end it was women who won the day.  Three outstanding women shared the prize, including Africa's first democratically elected woman president, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. This is the first time in 7 years since 2004 Kenyan woman environmental warrior  Wangari Maathai won the prize that women has received the award.  We hope that through the stories of these outstanding women we can provide our classmates with a way to break away from male interpretation of world and Taiwan history, and have a chance to understand the difference between the two genders from the viewpoint and development of a woman’s life.  This study mainly focuses on learning the unique culture of gender difference, from cultivating the concept of gender equality to establishing the spirit of caring for life.

We explore the roles played by women in different times by collecting literary data, recognize the differences in gender roles, and summarized the reasons for the success of these outstanding women.  Then we interview today's outstanding female in different fields who has broke through gender restrictions, their successful history, and reason for success.  We then understand during the course that life planning can break through gender limits.

During this thematic study, we used the following research methods:
(1) Literary exploration method
For research, we read related books and searched for relevant literature on the internet.
(2) Interviewing outstanding women
1. Collect background information, relevant documents, media reports, and finally analyze and organize collected information. 
Through open-ended questions and face to face communication with interviewee, we understood their life experience, meanings and values they give to events, and look at problems from the perspective of the interviewee.  Then we express through the words of the interviewees. 

2. We interviewed three outstanding women, Hsiao-ru Liu, Chi Cheng, and Wen-ya Kuei, respectively.

 

• In the process of finding information I discovered: the status that women rise to actually is related to a women’s self-concept. Before, it was just dependent, But because they start entering social work and started showing self confidence, this allowed women to be taken seriously. In the process of finishing this topic I really learned a lot. When interviewing Lucia Liu Severinghaus, Chi Cheng, and Wen-ya Kuei I was really nervous because the air of these three outstanding woman are full of confidence, making people feel they should use a more cautious mood to converse with them.
  

• conversed with outstanding women, understood the difficulty of their success, and also received encouragement from them. I have summed up the reasons for the rise of women's status, understood the characteristics of women, understood women's thoughts, understood the unlimited potential of women, and learned lessons from it. I am happy because I discovered the beauty of strength and never admitting defeat of women in the story of women’s struggle.
  
  
• After finish this topic I knew more about treatment of traditional women and their twist of fate, and I also knew how lucky I am. Participate in this topic; we interviewed outstanding women in fields. The first is an outstanding woman in the nature conservation community, Lucia Liu Severinghaus. The second is a women spotlighted in sports, Chi Cheng. The third was a woman outstanding in the literary world, Wen-ya Kuei. After interviewing these three outstanding women, I discovered they did not have any gender stereotypes, were very neutral, and won’t differentiate between male and female. If you do not have any gender stereotypes, then others will not look down on you, so they did not encounter any gender discrimination problems.
  
  
• I have found that the outstanding women in society all have a story that belongs to them. They also had gone a process of tough challenges, but they still used love and courage to break through these difficulties. This kind of spirit is worthy of admiring. When I interviewed these three outstanding women, this thought was even more profound. I found that you have to bravely pursuit your dream. Once you start you have to insist to the end, only then will you have a chance to succeed.
  
  
• I am responsible for the sub-themes of “gender do not limit careers” and Wen-ya Kuei’s information. I discovered from it that women often choose traditional work because they were afraid. Afraid of exposure to different places, afraid they could not adapt. So they choose a career that normal women would choose, and do not challenge careers with less women. But the three women we interviewed, their biggest successful element is interest. Their careers were all chosen according to their interests, and did not care if there were many inconvenient areas. I think all women choosing a job should have this kind of thinking.
  
  
• From Lucia Liu Severinghaus, I saw a studious heart and the insistence on interest. From Wen-ya Kuei I saw the attitude of courage to face all and a face full of confidence. From Chi Cheng, I saw an unyielding spirit and a smile after frustration. I see in them the pride of the women.